British Columbia Hansard — 10 December 2020, p.m., Issue 7 (42nd Parliament, 1st Session)

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British Columbia — Debates (Hansard)

First Session, 42nd Parliament OFFICIAL REPORT OF DEBATES (HANSARD) Thursday, December 10, 2020 Afternoon Sitting Issue No. 7 THE HONOURABLE RAJ CHOUHAN, SPEAKER ISSN 1499-2175

PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Entered Confederation July 20, 1871) LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR Her Honour the Honourable Janet Austin, OBC First Session, 42nd Parliament SPEAKER OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Honourable Raj Chouhan EXECUTIVE COUNCIL Premier and President of the Executive Council ............................................................................................................... Hon. John Horgan Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Training...........................................................................................................Hon.

Anne Kang Minister of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries......................................................................................................................Hon. Lana Popham Attorney General and Minister Responsible for Housing .............................................................................................Hon. David Eby, QC Minister of Children and Family Development ....................................................................................................................Hon.

Mitzi Dean Minister of State for Child Care...................................................................................................................................... Hon. Katrina Chen Minister of Citizens’ Services.....................................................................................................................................................Hon. Lisa Beare Minister of Education .................................................................................................................................................. Hon.

Jennifer Whiteside Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation ................................................................................................ Hon. Bruce Ralston Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy............................................................................................. Hon. George Heyman Minister of Finance .......................................................................................................................................................... Hon.

Selina Robinson Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development ................................................ Hon. Katrine Conroy Minister of State for Lands and Natural Resource Operations................................................................................. Hon. Nathan Cullen Minister of Health and Minister Responsible for Francophone Affairs.............................................................................Hon.

Adrian Dix Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation .......................................................................................... Hon. Murray Rankin, QC Minister of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation....................................................................................................... Hon. Ravi Kahlon Minister of State for Trade...............................................................................................................................................Hon.

George Chow Minister of Labour ...................................................................................................................................................................Hon. Harry Bains Minister of Mental Health and Addictions.............................................................................................................. Hon. Sheila Malcolmson Minister of Municipal Affairs ............................................................................................................................................. Hon.

Josie Osborne Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General ........................................................................................................... Hon. Mike Farnworth Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction........................................................................................... Hon. Nicholas Simons Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport .................................................................................................................. Hon.

Melanie Mark Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure................................................................................................................... Hon. Rob Fleming Minister of State for Infrastructure ................................................................................................................................... Hon.

Bowinn Ma LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Leader of the Official Opposition...................................................................................................................................................Shirley Bond Leader of the Third Party .......................................................................................................................................................... Sonia Furstenau Deputy Speaker..........................................................................................................................................................

Spencer Chandra Herbert Assistant Deputy Speaker..............................................................................................................................................................Norm Letnick Deputy Chair, Committee of the Whole .......................................................................................................................... Ronna-Rae Leonard Clerk of the Legislative Assembly ...........................................................................................................................................

Kate Ryan-Lloyd Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel.............................................................................................................................. Seunghee Suzie Seo Clerk Assistant, Parliamentary Services........................................................................................................................... Artour Sogomonian Clerk of Committees.......................................................................................................................................................................

Jennifer Arril Clerk Assistant, Committees and Interparliamentary Relations ..............................................................................................Susan Sourial Senior Research Analyst ................................................................................................................................................................... Karan Riarh Acting Sergeant-at-Arms..................................................................................................................................................................Greg Nelson

ALPHABETICAL LIST OF MEMBERS Alexis, Pam (BC NDP) ............................................................Abbotsford-Mission Anderson, Brittny (BC NDP) .........................................................Nelson-Creston Ashton, Dan (BC Liberal Party) ............................................................... Penticton Babchuk, Michele (BC NDP)...............................................................North Island Bailey, Brenda (BC NDP).................................................. Vancouver–False Creek Bains, Hon. Harry (BC NDP).........................................................

Surrey-Newton Banman, Bruce (BC Liberal Party) ............................................ Abbotsford South Beare, Hon. Lisa (BC NDP) .......................................

Maple Ridge–Pitt Meadows Begg, Garry (BC NDP).................................................................Surrey-Guildford Bernier, Mike (BC Liberal Party) ...............................................Peace River South Bond, Shirley (BC Liberal Party).................................Prince George–Valemount Brar, Jagrup (BC NDP) ................................................................Surrey-Fleetwood Cadieux, Stephanie (BC Liberal Party) .............................................

Surrey South Chandra Herbert, Spencer (BC NDP).................................Vancouver–West End Chant, Susie (BC NDP) ..............................................North Vancouver–Seymour Chen, Hon. Katrina (BC NDP) ............................................... Burnaby-Lougheed Chouhan, Hon. Raj (BC NDP).................................................Burnaby-Edmonds Chow, Hon. George (BC NDP) ..........................................Vancouver-Fraserview Clovechok, Doug (BC Liberal Party)........................Columbia River–Revelstoke Conroy, Hon.

Katrine (BC NDP) ....................................................Kootenay West Coulter, Dan (BC NDP) .......................................................................... Chilliwack Cullen, Hon. Nathan (BC NDP) ................................................................... Stikine Davies, Dan (BC Liberal Party)................................................. Peace River North de Jong, Michael, QC (BC Liberal Party)....................................Abbotsford West Dean, Hon. Mitzi (BC NDP) ...............................................

Esquimalt-Metchosin D’Eith, Bob (BC NDP) .........................................................Maple Ridge–Mission Dix, Hon. Adrian (BC NDP) ................................................ Vancouver-Kingsway Doerkson, Lorne (BC Liberal Party) ........................................Cariboo-Chilcotin Donnelly, Fin (BC NDP) .......................................... Coquitlam–Burke Mountain Dykeman, Megan (BC NDP)............................................................... Langley East Eby, Hon. David, QC (BC NDP).......................................

Vancouver–Point Grey Elmore, Mable (BC NDP) ..................................................Vancouver-Kensington Farnworth, Hon. Mike (BC NDP) .................................................Port Coquitlam Fleming, Hon. Rob (BC NDP) ...............................................

Victoria–Swan Lake Furstenau, Sonia (BC Green Party) .............................................Cowichan Valley Glumac, Rick (BC NDP) ..................................................Port Moody–Coquitlam Greene, Kelly (BC NDP) ........................................................Richmond-Steveston Halford, Trevor (BC Liberal Party) .........................................Surrey–White Rock Heyman, Hon. George (BC NDP) .........................................Vancouver-Fairview Horgan, Hon. John (BC NDP) ......................................... Langford–Juan de Fuca Kahlon, Hon.

Ravi (BC NDP) .............................................................. Delta North Kang, Hon. Anne (BC NDP) .................................................. Burnaby–Deer Lake Kirkpatrick, Karin (BC Liberal Party) ........................West Vancouver–Capilano Kyllo, Greg (BC Liberal Party)....................................................................Shuswap Lee, Michael (BC Liberal Party) ..............................................Vancouver-Langara Leonard, Ronna-Rae (BC NDP)...............................................

Courtenay-Comox Letnick, Norm (BC Liberal Party) .................................. Kelowna–Lake Country Lore, Grace (BC NDP)........................................................... Victoria–Beacon Hill Ma, Hon. Bowinn (BC NDP).....................................North Vancouver–Lonsdale Malcolmson, Hon. Sheila (BC NDP)........................................................Nanaimo Mark, Hon. Melanie (BC NDP).................................Vancouver–Mount Pleasant Mercier, Andrew (BC NDP) ........................................................................

Langley Merrifield, Renee (BC Liberal Party)......................................... Kelowna-Mission Milobar, Peter (BC Liberal Party) .......................... Kamloops–North Thompson Morris, Mike (BC Liberal Party) ................................. Prince George–Mackenzie Oakes, Coralee (BC Liberal Party).................................................. Cariboo North Olsen, Adam (BC Green Party)............................ Saanich North and the Islands Osborne, Hon.

Josie (BC NDP)........................................Mid Island–Pacific Rim Paddon, Kelli (BC NDP) ................................................................Chilliwack-Kent Paton, Ian (BC Liberal Party) ............................................................... Delta South Popham, Hon. Lana (BC NDP)........................................................ Saanich South Ralston, Hon. Bruce (BC NDP)......................................................Surrey-Whalley Rankin, Hon.

Murray, QC (BC NDP) .............................Oak Bay–Gordon Head Rice, Jennifer (BC NDP) ...................................................................... North Coast Robinson, Hon. Selina (BC NDP)...................................Coquitlam-Maillardville Ross, Ellis (BC Liberal Party)......................................................................... Skeena Routledge, Janet (BC NDP) .............................................................Burnaby North Routley, Doug (BC NDP)...........................................

Nanaimo–North Cowichan Russell, Roly (BC NDP).................................................... Boundary-Similkameen Rustad, John (BC Liberal Party)......................................................Nechako Lakes Sandhu, Harwinder (BC NDP) .................................................Vernon-Monashee Sharma, Niki (BC NDP)..........................................................Vancouver-Hastings Shypitka, Tom (BC Liberal Party) .................................................... Kootenay East Simons, Hon. Nicholas (BC NDP).........................

Powell River–Sunshine Coast Sims, Jinny (BC NDP) ................................................................. Surrey-Panorama Singh, Aman (BC NDP) .............................................Richmond-Queensborough Singh, Rachna (BC NDP)...................................................Surrey–Green Timbers Starchuk, Mike (BC NDP) ......................................................... Surrey-Cloverdale Stewart, Ben (BC Liberal Party) .......................................................

Kelowna West Stone, Todd (BC Liberal Party) ...............................Kamloops–South Thompson Sturdy, Jordan (BC Liberal Party) ............................. West Vancouver–Sea to Sky Tegart, Jackie (BC Liberal Party)....................................................... Fraser-Nicola Walker, Adam (BC NDP) ....................................................... Parksville-Qualicum Wat, Teresa (BC Liberal Party) ....................................... Richmond North Centre Whiteside, Hon. Jennifer (BC NDP) .........................................

New Westminster Wilkinson, Andrew, QC (BC Liberal Party)......................Vancouver-Quilchena Y ao, Henry (BC NDP) ..................................................... Richmond South Centre LIST OF MEMBERS BY RIDING Abbotsford-Mission................................................................................. Pam Alexis Abbotsford South...............................................................................Bruce Banman Abbotsford West......................................................................

Michael de Jong, QC Boundary-Similkameen........................................................................ Roly Russell Burnaby–Deer Lake....................................................................... Hon. Anne Kang Burnaby-Edmonds......................................................................Hon. Raj Chouhan Burnaby-Lougheed .................................................................... Hon. Katrina Chen Burnaby North .................................................................................

Janet Routledge Cariboo-Chilcotin ..........................................................................Lorne Doerkson Cariboo North.................................................................................... Coralee Oakes Chilliwack ...............................................................................................Dan Coulter Chilliwack-Kent .................................................................................... Kelli Paddon Columbia River–Revelstoke .........................................................

Doug Clovechok Coquitlam–Burke Mountain...............................................................Fin Donnelly Coquitlam-Maillardville ...................................................... Hon. Selina Robinson Courtenay-Comox................................................................... Ronna-Rae Leonard Cowichan Valley ............................................................................. Sonia Furstenau Delta North................................................................................... Hon.

Ravi Kahlon Delta South ..................................................................................................Ian Paton Esquimalt-Metchosin .................................................................... Hon. Mitzi Dean Fraser-Nicola .........................................................................................

Jackie Tegart Kamloops–North Thompson .............................................................Peter Milobar Kamloops–South Thompson..................................................................Todd Stone Kelowna–Lake Country .....................................................................Norm Letnick Kelowna-Mission ...........................................................................

Renee Merrifield Kelowna West ..........................................................................................Ben Stewart Kootenay East.......................................................................................Tom Shypitka Kootenay West........................................................................ Hon. Katrine Conroy Langford–Juan de Fuca .............................................................. Hon.

John Horgan Langley .............................................................................................Andrew Mercier Langley East....................................................................................Megan Dykeman Maple Ridge–Mission.............................................................................. Bob D’Eith Maple Ridge–Pitt Meadows............................................................Hon. Lisa Beare Mid Island–Pacific Rim............................................................ Hon.

Josie Osborne Nanaimo.............................................................................Hon. Sheila Malcolmson Nanaimo–North Cowichan............................................................... Doug Routley Nechako Lakes........................................................................................ John Rustad Nelson-Creston ............................................................................. Brittny Anderson New Westminster.............................................................. Hon.

Jennifer Whiteside North Coast ........................................................................................... Jennifer Rice North Island................................................................................... Michele Babchuk North Vancouver–Lonsdale......................................................... Hon. Bowinn Ma North Vancouver–Seymour...................................................................Susie Chant Oak Bay–Gordon Head..................................................Hon.

Murray Rankin, QC Parksville-Qualicum........................................................................... Adam Walker Peace River North ................................................................................... Dan Davies Peace River South ................................................................................ Mike Bernier Penticton ................................................................................................. Dan Ashton Port Coquitlam...................................................................... Hon.

Mike Farnworth Port Moody–Coquitlam.......................................................................Rick Glumac Powell River–Sunshine Coast..............................................Hon. Nicholas Simons Prince George–Mackenzie....................................................................Mike Morris Prince George–Valemount ..................................................................

Shirley Bond Richmond North Centre..........................................................................Teresa Wat Richmond-Queensborough..................................................................Aman Singh Richmond South Centre .......................................................................... Henry Y ao Richmond-Steveston ............................................................................

Kelly Greene Saanich North and the Islands .............................................................Adam Olsen Saanich South .............................................................................Hon. Lana Popham Shuswap...................................................................................................... Greg Kyllo Skeena........................................................................................................... Ellis Ross Stikine........................................................................................ Hon.

Nathan Cullen Surrey-Cloverdale .............................................................................. Mike Starchuk Surrey-Fleetwood.....................................................................................Jagrup Brar Surrey–Green Timbers........................................................................Rachna Singh Surrey-Guildford......................................................................................Garry Begg Surrey-Newton ..............................................................................Hon.

Harry Bains Surrey-Panorama ...................................................................................... Jinny Sims Surrey South ................................................................................ Stephanie Cadieux Surrey-Whalley ......................................................................... Hon. Bruce Ralston Surrey–White Rock .......................................................................... Trevor Halford Vancouver-Fairview.............................................................. Hon.

George Heyman Vancouver–False Creek...................................................................... Brenda Bailey Vancouver-Fraserview...............................................................Hon. George Chow Vancouver-Hastings ..............................................................................Niki Sharma Vancouver-Kensington....................................................................... Mable Elmore Vancouver-Kingsway..................................................................... Hon.

Adrian Dix Vancouver-Langara................................................................................ Michael Lee Vancouver–Mount Pleasant..................................................... Hon. Melanie Mark Vancouver–Point Grey ............................................................Hon. David Eby, QC Vancouver-Quilchena........................................................Andrew Wilkinson, QC Vancouver–West End .....................................................Spencer Chandra Herbert Vernon-Monashee .....................................................................

Harwinder Sandhu Victoria–Beacon Hill............................................................................... Grace Lore Victoria–Swan Lake.................................................................... Hon. Rob Fleming West Vancouver–Capilano...........................................................Karin Kirkpatrick West Vancouver–Sea to Sky................................................................Jordan Sturdy Party Standings: BC NDP 57; BC Liberal Party 28; BC Green Party 2

CONTENTS Thursday, December 10, 2020 Afternoon Sitting Page Orders of the Day Second Reading of Bills ............................................................................................................................................................ 133 Bill 3 — Finance Statutes Amendment Act, 2020(continued) J. Sturdy G. Kyllo J. Tegart A. Olsen A. Wilkinson R. Merrifield B. Stewart D. Davies B. Banman D. Ashton K. Kirkpatrick

THURSDAY , DECEMBER 10, 2020 The House met at 1:32 p.m. [Mr. Speaker in the chair.] Orders of the Day Hon. M. Farnworth:I call continued second reading debate on Bill 3. Second Reading of Bills BILL 3 — FINANCE STATUTES AMENDMENT ACT, 2020 (continued) J.

Sturdy:We were talking before the break about build- ing the economy, about having a plan and the concern I have about the fact that we don’t really seem to have a plan, and the importance of the public sector and the invest- ments that government has made recently — supported, I think, in large part, by both sides of the House — but understanding that those services, be it in health care or education, don’t come for free. [S. Chandra Herbert in the chair.] People and businesses pay for those services through their taxes.

In order for this to be sustainable, to ensure that we don’t go back to the days of consistently paying operating costs with debt, we need healthy businesses that have the confidence to hire people, the confidence to invest in equipment and facilities, the confidence that investments in productivity will pay off. For that confidence to be solid, to allow people to plan for the future, it’s imperative that they understand where their government is going, because businesses are buffeted by many things, I think, as we all understand, often outside of their control, and COVID is obviously a dramatic example of that.

What businesses don’t need is to be sideswiped by government. This is what concerns me about this bill. The goal of this bill appears to be to further delay laying out a plan, delay sharing intentions with people, delay letting people know the nature of the frame- work that they are going to be operating in. I really don’t see the need for this.

The previous Minister of Finance anticipated a need to defer submission of a budget in the years following a fall election. [1:35 p.m.] This was canvassed extensively during last summer’s session, and our critics understood the need and recom- mended support for the measure, which was duly passed. So what has changed? Well, we have a new Finance Minister. Perhaps she doesn’t expect to be up to speed at the same rate as her predecessor. This is unfortunate.

It doesn’t serve the people of British Columbia, the families and businesses around the province that are increasingly desperate for measures, supports and guidance that give them the confidence that this government has a plan and is ready to act to help them through this devastating pan- demic and beyond. The bill before us will allow government to delay intro- ducing the next budget for months, from typically the end of February to the end of April. A full month into the new fiscal and two months after what has been the practice for decades.

While it’s certainly easy to see how this bill will benefit government, it’s hard to see how it will benefit the people of British Columbia or the organizations that serve them. School districts around British Columbia, for example, will be at the point of needing to submit budgets to the ministry without knowing how much money they can ex- pect to receive. Health authorities, at the front line of the COVID pan- demic, will be well into their next fiscal in a year of crisis and pressure and demand and at a time when stability and certainty are incredibly important.

They will have no idea how much money they will have to access, while they’re already 8 percent into their annual spend. This is also true for every ministry across government. As much as $6 billion would have already been spent in a normal year, where budgets are made public in February. While they may not have been passed in advance of the end of the fiscal, it gives ministries guidance for what to expect.

This is important, be it in the above-mentioned education and health care ministries, which comprise over half of the provincial budget, but also in ministries which rely on the summer season to get things accomplished. I think, for example, of the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure and their need to act during a limited building season, to action safety improvements during a short construction window. Can contracts even be let or responded to in time for critical work to be done? Will contractors and bidders respond to this delay and that much-shortened construction season?

Will they even respond, not knowing what jobs will be there? Will they, perhaps, take other opportunities? As they say, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. If you don’t know what the budget looks like, you don’t know what projects are going to happen. I think of B.C. Parks, a very important entity in West Vancouver–Sea to Sky. There are 17 provincial parks in the riding, some of which are the busiest parks in British Col- umbia.

These parks are under enormous pressure to man- age visitation due not in the least to the fact that they’re exceptional places but also to the fact of their proximity to Metro Vancouver. These parks saw a budget cut last year. Will this again be the future of B.C. Parks? How can park managers plan to make badly needed improvements? Will they get another $2 million slashed from their budget in this coming year? 133

How can they plan for that? What can the response be? Well, I suppose they can limit access, limit services, limit maintenance or just close it down, like Joffre Lakes Provin- cial Park, one of the most iconic areas in the Sea to Sky, one of the prettiest places in the province. It has been closed for nine months. The government messaging is that it will be closed for the foreseeable future, including this winter. If the B.C. Parks budget is cut again, it’s hard to imagine how B.C. Parks will react, although the proposal coming from government to date has been to start charging for day use in provincial parks.

This has been floated as the future of Joffre. Given that there are many other busier parks in British Columbia and, certainly, on the south coast, it seems that this could be a plan for general implementa- tion, even while it’s hard to square with making life more affordable for British Columbians. [1:40 p.m.] Regardless, even if they do plan on reopening Joffre Lakes Provincial Park, by the time the budget is presented and passed this coming year, it’s hard to imagine how B.C.

Parks will have the time to action those needed improve- ments, much less hiring and training parks staff, especially the seasonal ones, which we understand have been woe- fully and inadequately trained to the point of WorkSafe coming down hard on B.C. Parks with provincial orders. There’s a limited time in any season for ministries like Parks to respond, and this bill will just ensure that they have less time, which does not set up anyone for success — quite the contrary, in fact.

From what we can see, this is a bill that will limit gov- ernment transparency and accountability, while also delaying needed supports from getting into the hands of British Columbians. Christmas is coming, as we all know — an unusual Christmas to be sure, one unlike any other. It’s just a few weeks away. It’s a time that, typically, families spend together in celebration. We know this year is going to look very different. We’re all being asked to make sacrifices for the greater good. What we are looking for out of government is con- fidence. We are looking for certainty.

We are looking to this government for a plan, for reassurance that we can make these sacrifices and government will be ready to sup- port us. Families and businesses need solutions and hope and an understanding that we have a collective vision for how we’re going to respond and recover together. However, this Christmas the offer of government is just to suggest that the people of B.C. hold on a couple extra months. It will almost be summer before we know what the budget is proposed to look like and what the plan this government has for the people and businesses of British Columbia.

All that government has to offer is delay. All they have to offer is that help is two months farther away. Honestly, that is not good enough. The official opposition’s job is holding government to account and to try and ensure that government is serving the interest of the people of this province. Sup- port and certainty and a hope and desire to see beyond what have been some of the most difficult times that British Columbians have ever seen is what the people of this province want and need. Now, I’ve been working with the hospitality and tourism businesses in the Sea to Sky for years now.

In fact, I have certainly been involved in and owned one. We all under- stand the cyclical nature of these businesses, and we are seeing unprecedented times. Whistler once saw huge fluctuations in the flow of traffic over the course of the year. High season and low season made it very difficult to build capacity. The resort would be jam-packed and then empty. Staffing was incredibly dif- ficult. Businesses desperately needed workers, and then overnight the resort emptied, and it was hard to carry those staff. Giving staff certainty and giving businesses cer- tainty is a prime driver for the resort and the region.

It’s good for staff. It’s good for owners, and it’s good for the guest experience. Y ears ago work began on filling up those off-seasons. Conferences and events, Cornucopia, the Whistler Film Festival in the fall and the World Ski and Snowboard Festival in the spring. These type of events and others filled up the off-season, which kind of transitioned into what we call the shoulder season. Over the years, that shoulder season has shrunk and almost disappeared, up until this year. Especially with the recent travel restric- tions, all bets are off. This fall has been brutal.

Hotels which would be run- ning over 50 percent or 70 percent are near empty. Res- taurants that would have been able to carry a full com- plement of staff through the fall and into the busy winter are empty and shutting down. Whether we’re going to have a busy winter again is an open question. In fact, I think, increasingly, we’re skeptical that that will be the case. Tour operators are all but closed. Storefronts are emptying.

Independents are a vanishing breed, as the chains are the only ones with the capacity to survive, and even they are stretched. [1:45 p.m.] These are the type of people that want and need sup- port right now, and we want to do everything in our power to get those supports into the hands of these busi- nesses and people as soon as possible. It has been well understood and talked about broadly that the tourism and hospitality industry has been hammered over the last nine months, and the fact that government saw fit to form a task force acknowledges that.

Y et to date, they really haven’t done anything meaningful to support the industry, beyond supporting marketing budgets. There’s nothing targeted to support tourism businesses, many of which are small operators who are desperate. This is bey- ond disappointing and reinforces the narrative that this government doesn’t have a plan. This has all been emphasized in the final report of the Tourism Task Force, which became publicly available yes- 134 British Columbia Debates Thursday, December 10, 2020

terday. Given that the generation of the report was, in fact, managed and written by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, with an assistant deputy minister who actually sat on the committee as an ex officio, it’s pretty rich that the current minister claims she only knew yesterday of its recommendations. That does, in fact, stretch credibility. Mr. Speaker, I will provide you with an excerpt from the executive

summary of the task force report, and I hope the minister finds this instructive: “The pandemic has left the tourism industry in a precarious po- sition. Many businesses are now facing closure as reserve funds and credit run out, and thousands of members of the workforce are un- employed. Funding is required NOW” — and that “now” is actu- ally in capital letters — “to ensure that there is a tourism industry for the workforce and the visitors to return to. “Our discussions with business owners and workers were pro- ductive, but many are feeling desperate.

A large number of tourism operators and job holders have fallen through the cracks of previ- ous and current relief programs.

People love the industry and want to build careers in tourism but are worried there won’t be work for them when tourism recovers. ” Well, unfortunately, the best this government could do with this bill that we are discussing today is to tell the tour- ism and hospitality sector to “wait five more months until the budget is presented, and then we’ll see if there’s any- thing there for you. ” I hope the task force comments don’t prove to be prescient — that by the time there is recovery, the businesses will have disappeared and the jobs along with them.

We’re going to raise some additional important ques- tions and concerns during this bill’s debate and the com- mittee stage that follows, because it does come as some- thing of a package with the supplementary estimates that will follow and will allow the election payoff cheque. But we’re already beginning to see how things change. To begin with, the government is asking for more money to increase the scope of the payment.

Clearly, get- ting supports to as many people as needed is important, but it’s becoming pretty clear that this was made up on the fly during the election, and it’s now being shown how poorly designed it is. The idea that this election benefit cheque will go to people based on their income from 2019 is bizarre. Busi- nesses had a good year in 2019. It wasn’t great, but it was pretty good. This year is devastating, but that will not be considered in the provision of supports. Last year there were plenty of jobs. This year it’s a catastrophe. So those who need it most likely won’t be eligible.

Was that an ill- conceived notion, I ask you? Well, I would say it’s worse than that. It’s perverse. Looking specifically at Bill 3 rather than the estimates — as I mentioned, last summer the House amended this stat- ute, already delaying the requirement to submit a budget to the House by a full month. This change took place last summer, for exactly the same reason they’re looking to change it again today. It was designed to give the Fin- ance Minister more time to generate a budget in the case of a fall election.

One would hope that that was a coin- cidence that such an amendment would be generated a mere month before the Premier broke trust with his part- ners and called a snap election, which they claim was only decided on in September, although that assertion does stretch credibility. [1:50 p.m.] However, if we accept that this was simply coincidence and this wasn’t a duplicitous government scheming to ditch their partners, it does reinforce the notion that there hasn’t been and isn’t now a plan in place, given that they got their wish, ditched their partner and then realized they needed more cover.

During the summer, when they claimed to need extra time to put forward a budget in the case of a fall election, government made the case that a new government would need to get up to speed and get a handle on the books. It was the same argument that was used for changing the election date from spring until fall so the Auditor General’s report would be available. All of this may have merit if the government is changing out completely, but this is simply not the case today. In fact, we have essentially the same government that amended this legislation during the summer. Why do they now need more time?

Why was it good enough then — and after all, they did propose it and put forward the legis- lation — but not good enough now? Could it be just simply poor planning? The consequence is that by giving themselves a couple of extra months, much-needed pandemic supports and clar- ity on where this government is going are further delayed, and the hardest-hit sectors continue to flounder. This is the only piece of legislation that this government is bringing forward in this short session.

This is the reason that government has called us back, to avoid accountabil- ity, to give themselves the authority through special war- rants to spend outside of legislative oversight, to spend billions of dollars without the House having a chance to debate and examine and hold them to account. Government claims they need somewhere between $1.3 and $1.7 billion to pay off their election gift. Quite a range. But why do they now need $2 billion? That’s somewhere around $300 million to $500 million, just spare change, not accounted for, spend it as you like. Just expected, so it seems.

This government is manufacturing the authority to delay budgets and spend funds without legislative scrutiny and without oversight. The idea that they can cloak the province’s finances at a time when they should be striving to be as transparent as possible is disappointing. It should be a red flag for the future. Transparency and accountabil- ity are simply a slogan, or so it appears, and the Premier’s comments about limiting the opposition’s access to free- dom-of-information requests just drives home the point. Disappointing, to say the least.

This is a time when, if we were truly in this together, Thursday, December 10, 2020 British Columbia Debates 135

the government would think it was time to share with the House our collective financial circumstances and together put forward a plan for the future. But the reverse seems to be true. This bill seeks the opportunity to spend $2 billion without saying what it’s for and then delay the inevitable reckoning with an additional month. Should we be surprised that this government is twisting and turning and trying to hide its spending behind these special warrants and not be accountable for the lack of a jobs plan or a vision for our economy, either during this pandemic or beyond it?

Well, given that the Premier has been talking about making life easier for the people of this province, it’s surprising that what we are doing is debating a bill that doesn’t make life any better for those impacted by this pandemic but does make life much easier for gov- ernment. Y es, this is disappointing. I look forward to committee stage of this debate and supplementary estimates. Deputy Speaker:I recognize the member for Shuswap. G. Kyllo:Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, and wel- come to the chair and your new position.

It gives me great pride to actually speak today to the Finance Statutes Amendment Act, 2020. This is my first opportunity to rise in the House since the 2020 election, and I just wanted to give a few thank-yous to, first of all, the hard-working men and women of the Shuswap that supported me for a third term. I want to thank you very much for continuing to put your trust in me to help represent the interests of those of you living and working in the Shuswap region.

I also want to give a special thank-you to my lovely wife, Georgina, my lovely wife of 32 years, my high school sweetheart; and my four daughters, Sarah, Brit- tany, Angela and Samantha; and our eight wonderful grandchildren, with No. 9 on the way. We do have anoth- er little boy on the way in February and are very much looking forward to his arrival. [1:55 p.m.] Obviously, this COVID pandemic has been extremely challenging for many families, including ours, as people feel a lot more isolated — my parents especially, Knut and Marianne Thomsen.

My stepfather has COPD, so he’s been very concerned about COVID and the potential impact on his health should he contract the virus. There are many people that we’re all connected with and that have found this year extremely challenging.

I also just want to give a special thank-you to Brian Cowan, my riding association president, who worked very tirelessly on my last campaign, along with Linda Hawes, who also had a very supportive role — again, I’m just thanking them in their efforts to try and help me get elec- ted for this third term — and without saying, the hard work of my constituency assistants, both Holly Cowan and Bonnie Gavin. The work of our office is so very important. I often remind people that the office of the constituency of Shuswap is definitely non-partisan. I care not for your political stripe.

Our job is to serve all members of the Shuswap, and the work of Holly and Bonnie goes a long way to helping us support the needs of Shuswap residents with many diverse issues, as we find especially in rural communities across the province. Now, the reason that we’re here today speaking to this bill, the Finance Statutes Amendment Act, 2020, cer- tainly appears to be ill-conceived, as expressed by many of my colleagues that have spoken before me. Just the fact that we are here in December session, I think, is reason for concern.

As we know, it was the current gov- ernment that, back in 2018, actually moved to put for- ward an amendment to a bill to actually move the fixed election date legislation from the spring to the fall of 2021. The scheduled election date that we had all anti- cipated was October 16 of next year. It’s very unfortunate that in the midst of a pandemic, on the eve of a second wave of COVID infection rates surging across our province, the current government chose to cast aside the needs and the well-being and the interests of British Columbians for their own self- serving political interests.

Now, this may very well sound like sour grapes, but I truly believe that all members of this House — and especially our Premier — once they have the opportunity to form government, should be governing for all British Columbians. The health and well-being of our residents, our citizens and our job-creating businesses should be put at the fore- front. I think it goes without saying that the levels of cooperation and collaboration that were actually achieved in the Legislative Assembly over this past year….

It was only back to March 23, I believe, when all parties came together to put the needs and interests of British Columbi- ans at the forefront, to approve a $5 billion COVID spend- ing plan, to give government the latitude so that they could actually get on with business on tackling COVID, as well as seeing that the health and welfare of both our residents and our businesses were put at the forefront. The collaboration was very effective, as we saw as we moved into September of this year.

Everybody was abso- lutely blindsided that the current government would cast aside the needs of British Columbians for their own self- serving political interests at a time when it was absolutely imperative that all parties, all elected members, work together collaboratively to help support our province in getting through this most unprecedented COVID crisis. If you think about just the level of deficit that this gov- ernment has taken on through this COVID period, ini- tially we were told, back in August, that it looked like about a $12 billion deficit.

Not nine days later, the Minister of Finance came back to advise that, oh, the $12 billion had now grown by a further $1 billion, to $13 billion. [2:00 p.m.] Now we have the Finance Statutes Amendment Act put 136 British Columbia Debates Thursday, December 10, 2020

before this House late in December, which actually con- templates an additional $2 billion in spending, taking us to $15 billion. The largest surplus that I believe the B.C. gov- ernment has ever received was actually in 2017. That was by the previous B.C. Liberal government. That was only $2.7 billion. So if we think about that for a second, that the level of the deficit, the level of debt that government is going into…. It’s going to be shouldered by our kids and our grandchildren at unprecedented levels, at $15 billion.

Over six times the amount of the largest surplus that, I believe, has actually ever been recorded in the history of our province. These things are very concerning. Y ou know, just the fact that we are here now in December for a very shortened session to debate only one piece of legislation, and that piece of legislation was something that was actu- ally an election promise by the current government. As much as I fully believe and fully support providing necessary supports where they’re needed for all British Columbians and for businesses, this is a little bit too little, too late.

An election was not required for this level of sup- port to be going out the door. So why are we here? Was it truly in the best interests of British Columbians and businesses that are struggling to survive for us to be here and go through an election a full year ahead of the scheduled election date? Or was it in order to avoid the hard work that was before us? For members that are listening at home, you may or may not necessarily know that government typically sits for about six months a year.

We have a spring session, which consumes the months of February, March, April and May, and in most years, a fall legislative session, which is the months of October and November. So not only, by send- ing people to the polls, did we send the wrong message to British Columbians about COVID and the concerns that all British Columbians share; government also decided to postpone an eight-week legislative session, where many important pieces of legislation could have been put for- ward before the assembly, before British Columbians.

All members would have had an opportunity to actually move forward on legislation, bills, new laws that would actually be of benefit to businesses and all British Colum- bians. But instead, that was all cast aside. That was punted — now we’re understanding — until the spring of next year, not because it was in the best interest of British Col- umbians or that it was needed. Solely because the current government felt that they would put their own political self-serving interests ahead of the rights and the needs and the well-being of British Columbia residents.

One can’t think about that without actually being very concerned about what this government stands for. Are they in it for all British Columbians? Are they in it just for themselves? So let’s have a look just at some of the specifics of the bill. As my colleague the member for West Vancouver–Sea to Sky recently shared, it was the fact that back in last August, during the legislative session, the Minister of Fin- ance actually put forward, in another previous bill, to actu- ally extend the deadline for providing the budget to British Columbians by 30 days in the instance of an election year.

If we think about this for a second, I can fully appreciate and understand that, should there be a change of gov- ernment, there very well could be the need for an addi- tional 30 days of time for a new government to get their feet under themselves and to actually have a better under- standing of the fiscal picture of our province. That is not what happened. The NDP returned them- selves to government. So even the 30-day extension, I think many could argue, is not necessary.

Our Premier himself shared with British Columbians that the election was not going to unduly delay the service of this great province and the service of government. Well, we know that that is categorically false. The fall legislative session was cancelled. We lost two full months of time to debate new bills, new legislation that would actually be to the benefit of all British Columbians. [2:05 p.m.] Just earlier today a bill was tabled by my colleague for Surrey–White Rock to look at capping commissions for restaurants. Now, the restaurant sector has been one of the hardest-hit sectors in the entire province.

The restaurant industry has been asking since last spring for a measure to cap commissions — which currently are upwards of 30 percent for many of the different online applications for food services — at 15 percent to provide an opportunity for businesses, primarily the restaurant sector, to actually be competitive, to hang on. What has happened? We didn’t see any movement. Interestingly enough, the Ontario government found time and found need to support the restaurant sector and put legislation in place last spring.

Washington state, just south of the border, also had the good interest to actually move forward with the legislation in the summer to cap the actu- al commission rates for many of these online services — again, to provide some form of relief and support for a sec- tor that has been the hardest hit of most any sector in the entire province. But this government chose not to move forward with any legislation that would actually be supportive of the res- taurant sector in the fall of this year. And in this December session, not a hint, nothing forthcoming.

So when we look at this bill that’s before us that’s looking at extending the provision of the budget update, not just by 30 days but by 60 days — an additional 30 days — I think we all have to kind of question: when will we even be back in the Legis- lature? Is government actually considering maybe postponing the sitting of the Legislature by a further two months to allow them to actually get their budget in order to present to British Columbians? If that’s the case, many of these struggling small businesses that are looking for that lifeline Thursday, December 10, 2020 British Columbia Debates 137

certainly are not going to get any support in the foresee- able future from this government. Other pieces of legislation that certainly could’ve been looked at and brought forward — again, to help the tour- ism and the business sector in the province — would include additional reductions in red tape. What about for the struggling forest sector? We’re one of the most cost-impacted, or highest-cost, jurisdictions in North America for forestry.

The forest industry has been asking for overhaul of the stumpage rates in our province, but again we’re not seeing anything as far as any supports or proposed legislation from this govern- ment. The opportunity for moving forward with that legislation this past fall certainly was kicked down the road by this current government and their self-serving interests of going into an election and casting aside the collaboration and cooperation that had actually been evidenced here in the Legislature.

We only have to hope, because government certainly has been less than forthcoming on providing any inform- ation to British Columbians on what supports are coming. Now, this may feel like a big bucket of cold water being dumped on those of you that may be listening. But I’m extremely concerned about our province and the state of economic affairs. People are struggling. The small business sector is hanging on by a thread. They need a lifeline from this government, and they’re not receiving it. Y ou know, for many of our small business owners….

I think many people may think of the big corporations and have the thought: “Oh, they’ve got deep pockets; they can just dig a little deeper. ” The largest segment of our business sector, our economy in the province, is the small business sector. For many of these small mom-and-pop shops, fam- ily-owned businesses, it’s not just their source of business income; it’s also their personal income. It’s also their entire life savings, in many cases, and their retirement income. I was talking, back in the spring, to a couple in their early 60s. They built up their business over a number of years.

They were looking forward to the opportunity of one day actually selling their business, with the hopes that they could have a decent retirement income to carry them through their retirement years. And not only are they struggling with not having the business income; their per- sonal income has been impacted. [2:10 p.m.] For them, for many of the supports that have been made available, they found that they weren’t eligible.

So not only have they lost their business income and their personal income; they’re also hanging on, not sure that they’ll actu- ally be able to continue to operate and potentially losing their business entirely, and with that, having their entire retirement savings absolutely wiped out. When you have conversations with people that have worked hard to create jobs across our province, truly are job creators, and see the callousness of this government and the lack of attention to their needs, it’s nothing short of frightening.

Now I spoke just about some of the supports that gov- ernment could be undertaking in a fall legislative session, had they not cancelled it. But also, we have to have a look at some of the other significant impacts that COVID has had, not just on our health care workers, our ambulance attendants and paramedics, but also police services. When we see high levels of unemployment, we see increased rates of crime. We see increased rates of domestic violence. We see increased rates of drug and alcohol dependency. The opioid crisis is ever-present. Upwards of five individuals a day are dying in our province.

Y es, the current government takes great solace in hav- ing, for the first time, a Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. But when you actually dig below the surface and actually have a look at what has actually been done…. Do we see increasing supports for mental health in our province? No. Constituents in the Shuswap certainly are indicating something very different. When you have a look at a minister, with the sole responsibility for mental health and addictions, where is the benefit? What are British Columbians seeing that’s actually improving the quality of their life?

Are they get- ting the supports that they need? Are they able to actually have a bed to go to or a treatment centre to check them- selves into? I’m not seeing any increase at all. As much as the government may tout all of the work they’ve done around mental health and addictions, the statistics tell a very, very different story.

So again, when there was an opportunity, during a fall legislative ses- sion, to move forward bills or laws that would provide supports for those that are losing their lives at unpreced- ented rates, the current government decided it was time to go to the polls, not looking out for the best interests and the well-being of British Columbians but for their own self-serving interests. We look at tackling crime. Crime rates are at an all-time high. I’m hearing from members in the Shuswap com- munity that crime rates are up significantly. They are struggling with increasing caseloads but not with in- creased budgets.

It was only a few short years ago that the current gov- ernment, through their ill-intentioned employer health tax, put a significant amount of additional wage burden right on the backs of our RCMP forces across the province and did not even make them whole by providing addition- al funding. So these police forces across our province are having to do much, much more with fewer dollars.

When we have a look at the opportunity of the $5 billion additional COVID recovery fund that was put forward by all parties of this Legislature last spring, where are the funds flowing to those services that actually require them the most, that most British Columbians rely on, on a daily basis? I’m certainly not seeing them in the Shuswap, and that causes me a great deal of concern. 138 British Columbia Debates Thursday, December 10, 2020

When we look to, again, the mean-spirited nature of this fall election, folks at Elections B.C. were also put at a signi- ficant disadvantage. I know that many do not…. Deputy Speaker:Sorry, Member, if I might just draw your attention to…. We’re speaking to Bill 3, the Finance Statutes Amendment Act. Thank you. [2:15 p.m.] G. Kyllo:Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As we have a look at the Finance Statutes Amendment Act, basically, the purpose for it is to extend the budget timeline.

So I think it is absolutely prudent to bring to the fact that the only reason we are even having this bill pres- ented to us this week, in this legislative session, is because of the fall election. Had we not had an election last fall, we would not be here today, and we would not be debat- ing this specific bill. So the relevance of the fall election is absolutely paramount, in my mind. Y ou know, what’s interesting…. And certainly don’t just take my word for it, for those of you who might be listen- ing from home.

Even Vaughn Palmer, in a recent article, was quoted by saying: “ All teamwork and collaboration came to an abrupt end when… ” — the Premier — “called a snap election in September. He claimed it was necessary to end ‘political bickering’ and ‘instability’ that was not evid- ent to anyone but himself. ” These aren’t my words. These are the words of Vaughn Palmer. It goes on to say: “There followed five weeks of cam- paigning and another five weeks when Horgan mostly avoided the news media while working on a makeover of the cabinet and government. ” So was that necessary, and is this bill necessary?

I cer- tainly do not see the need. There are very important other pieces of legislation that we could be debating here in the House that would actually be of service and a benefit to British Columbians. I might also draw to the attention of viewers at home that members of the government side are not responding to this particular bill. So we must ask ourselves, if this was such important legislation, if government was whole- heartedly behind it, why would their members be choos- ing to sit in silence and actually not even respond to this very important bill that is a focus of our attention here today?

Now, with respect to the funding supports that need to go out, as I’ve mentioned earlier, I’m certainly in sup- port of any supports that can go out to help British Col- umbians that are struggling through this very unpreced- ented time. But was this ill-conceived? The Premier himself noted during the election that it wasn’t front and foremost in their election platform. It was something that they came up with on the fly.

Well, apparently, in the last six, eight weeks since the election, there’s been very little work done to actually develop the means or mechanisms in order to find ways of developing, to put these funds into the hands of those families that are most in need. The Finance Minister indicated that they will be using 2019 tax return data to determine who will be eligible and who is not. It just seems absolutely ludicrous that we would look to income levels of individuals in 2019 and use that as a litmus test, the measuring stick by which we would determine who’s eligible in 2020.

COVID arrived on our doorsteps earlier this year. People that have been impacted by COVID will have had their incomes decimated in this current fiscal. They are going to be negatively impacted and not have the ability to apply for these funds because they were gainfully employed in 2019. If these funds truly were intended to be targeted to those that are most in need and most deserving of some financial help with this government, just that cri- teria alone makes this entire exercise absolutely ludicrous and very difficult for anyone to support.

I think that most British Columbians would agree that those that are in need, need the supports. But that is not the way this bill is laid out. It will largely cut out and poten- tially exclude many British Columbians that have had their incomes negatively impacted this year from COVID because they actually were gainfully employed in the pre- vious fiscal. That is just wrong. [2:20 p.m.] Now, when we have a look at the economic recovery plan — or, I would say, probably the lack thereof….

I was very fortunate, from 2013 to ’17, to serve as the parlia- mentary secretary to the then Minister of Jobs, Tourism, Skills Training and Labour and had responsibility for B.C. ’s jobs plan. It was a very focused initiative, and it was cer- tainly the focus of the previous B.C. Liberal government to focus on how we could grow the economy and create jobs across the province. With a strong economy, with more people employed, we would end up with more tax revenues ultimately com- ing to government.

With that, the government would have the necessary funds to meet all of the mounting challenges and needs and support services that British Columbians rely on. But what have we seen since this current government came to power in 2017? There is no jobs plan. The hope that we had back in the spring, when the current Premier appointed himself as the chair of the COVID Economic Recovery Task Force, has not really paid any dividends for British Columbians. The task force was meeting. They pulled together, I believe, 20 different individuals from across the province to sit on the task force.

But the single sector that was hit the absolute hardest from COVID, the tourism sector, did not have any direct participation on the Economic Recovery Task Force. Y ou’ve got to just kind of shake your head and think about that for a second. The segment of the economy that was hardest-hit from COVID did not have a seat directly at the table of the Economic Recovery Task Force. British Thursday, December 10, 2020 British Columbia Debates 139

Columbians sat and waited and waited and waited for any- thing to come forward. What do we see in mid-Septem- ber? Finally, a COVID recovery, only $300 million. Out of a potential $1.5 billion, about $300 million was identified through this COVID recovery task force. Not six days later, government decided to pull the pin and call a snap election, double-crossing the agreement they had with their Green Party partners. So businesses were sitting and waiting.

At a time when all shoulders needed to be at the wheel, everybody needed to be pulling together for the support and benefit of all British Columbi- ans, what happened? Government basically got shut down for a full two-month period. How does this tie back to this bill that we’re debating today? Again, this is unnecessary. This was not needed. There were many other pieces of legislation that would have been of significant benefit to all British Columbians that we should have been working on.

Here we have a gov- ernment with no jobs plan, businesses that are struggling to wait, business sectors and industry organizations that have made recommendations to government on some very small, incremental measures that could be undertaken to support them during this COVID pandemic, and what do we see? Sleight of hand by this government, kicking the can down the road. No time for you. But hey, we’ve got time to fulfil a political promise that was made to British Columbians just a short 60 days ago. So am I concerned? Absolutely. It’s not just for me. I’m fine.

I’m worried about my kids and my grandkids and the hard-working men and women of the Shuswap that are finding themselves in unprecedented times, con- cerned about health, concerned about job security, con- cerned about how they are going to make it and survive until next spring. With that, I will take my seat and look forward to fur- ther debate during committee stage. Deputy Speaker:Recognizing the member for Fraser- Nicola. J. Tegart:Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. It is good to see you in that chair, and congratulations.

I virtually rise in this House today to speak to Bill 3, Finance Statutes Amendment Act, 2020. But before I speak to the bill, I, like others before me, would like to take a few minutes to thank the people who have been key to me being here in this chamber today. I speak of those I serve, the constituents of Fraser-Nicola. I’m honoured to be serving on their behalf in a third term.

I take my responsibilities very seriously, and I promise to do my best to ensure that their voices are heard in this House. [2:25 p.m.] I would like to thank my family — my children, grand- children, siblings — who have been by my side through every one of my elections, supporting me and enabling me to do the work I am so passionate about. They are the people who provide that extra encouragement, the uncon- ditional love and the support, even though the job often takes time away from those you love most.

On those days, when you’ve been away on the road, on the phone, in a meeting, at an event, you only have to look into the eyes of the children to know why this work is so important and who you do this work for. It is to build a better British Columbia for those future generations. I’ d also like to thank my campaign team. When the Premier decided this snap election in the middle of a pandemic was a good idea, my team was there, ready to do what needed to be done. They worked tirelessly under unusual circumstances to ensure that we were successful. COVID plans were in place.

The top priority was to keep everyone safe and healthy, and we hit the ground running. Thank you to each and every one of you. Y ou are the heart of an election team, and your sup- port means everything. To my constituency staff, Lori, Melisa and Etelka, thank you for your commitment to service to the constituents of Fraser-Nicola. With that support and commitment from my family and team, I find myself in this House, ready to join in the debate today of Bill 3, the Finance Statutes Amendment Act, 2020. In the middle of a pandemic, when numbers are going up, when Dr.

Bonnie Henry is asking citizens of British Columbia to limit their travel, when the message is stay home, this government decides that there is business that is so critically important to the people of British Col- umbia that they have to call back the Legislature. Bill 3 is the only bill the NDP government has tabled this session. The government called back the House to deal with this one bill. I don’t know about you, but my expect- ation of government priorities at this time is that the busi- ness of the House would be focused on pandemic issues. So let’s take a look at Bill 3. [N.

Letnick in the chair.] Let’s try to understand how it helps people during this pandemic. Let’s try and understand how it gives people hope for the future. Let’s try and understand why it is so important to pass at this critical time, in the middle of an unprecedented pandemic. This government tables a bill that has nothing to do with COVID-19. Y ou would’ve been right to expect that the recalling of the Legislature would be focused on support for citizens of British Columbia who have been most affected by this pandemic. I certainly know that that was my expectation, but no.

Not one single hint in Bill 3 that we are in a pandemic. Not one single hint that people are losing their jobs. [2:30 p.m.] Not one single hint that our seniors have been in lock- down for ten long months, that families are not allowed to see each other, that schools are open but staff and par- ents are feeling unheard and ignored. Not one single hint in this bill that business communities are being gutted. Not 140 British Columbia Debates Thursday, December 10, 2020

one single hint in this bill that non-profits who support vulnerable populations cannot fundraise and are consider- ing whether or not they have a future. Not one single hint about front-line workers who are burnt out and stressed to the max. No, when you look at Bill 3, you wouldn’t know that there’s a pandemic and that British Columbia’s num- bers are going through the roof. Let’s take a look at what Bill 3 is about, why Premier Horgan and his government had to deal with this bill immediately, why it is so important to the lives of British Columbians.

Bill 3 extends the deadline for presenting the provincial government budget and the main estimates for 30 days. It also allows for special warrants to be authorized for the beginning of the 2021 fiscal year, meaning no legis- lative approval will be required. Now, don’t get me wrong. This bill is important — but only to the Premier and his government. It takes away budget transparency at a time when the public is demand- ing and deserving of more accountability in spending. It allows absolute authority to delay the budget and spend funds without legislative scrutiny.

Let me remind this House and the members opposite that our job as MLAs is to ensure that taxpayers’ hard- earned dollars are being spent appropriately. The way we do that is through transparent processes that share the vis- ion of government and the budget of government. In my mind and in the minds of many members on this side of the House, this bill undermines the integrity of a transparent budgeting process and the accountability that comes with that process. This bill should concern every citizen of British Columbia and every MLA in this Legis- lature.

If government thinks this is such an important bill, I ask: why has not one MLA from the government side of this House stood up to explain, to convince, to debate Bill 3? Y ou ran for office. Y ou ran to represent. It is time to stand up and be counted. I want to speak to the bill and the changes being pro- posed from my role as opposition critic for Education. Before I begin, I’ d like to say congratulations to the new Minister of Education.

I look forward to working with her, and I also look forward to hearing her speak to this bill and explain to us what effect it would have on her ministry and those within it. [2:35 p.m.] In my past, I have served many years as a locally elected school trustee. I am absolutely passionate about our edu- cation system, the focus on students and their learning outcomes. I’m also passionate about building trust in the education system. I believe that one of the building blocks of trust is an open and transparent budgeting process.

I would like to ask both the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Education: what modelling has government done to understand the effect of putting off tabling a pro- vincial budget 60 days? What effect will it have on all min- istries, but in particular on the Ministry of Education? I would remind them that the education system has done an incredible job during these very difficult times. I’m hearing, as I’m sure government is hearing, from parents, teachers, support staff, administrators and anyone who is interested in education.

They are expressing their concerns as they continue to keep our school doors open. It is clear by this legislation, which does not once men- tion education, that this government fully intends to ignore the calls by teachers and staff for greater support and consultation in our education system. The BCTF and parents have called for smaller class sizes and stricter mask mandates to reduce COVID-19 risks in school. Y et there is no mention anywhere in this legislation of extra PPE or additional health and safety supports for our schools.

This government is coming under fire for ignoring par- ents’ calls for greater transparency in reporting. COVID data and outbreaks in schools are incredibly important to know about for our parents. There is absolutely no men- tion in this bill, this very important bill. While we know that 560 or so schools have had exposures, this govern- ment has not been forthcoming in the amount of COV- ID-19 transmissions that have occurred.

This government is also facing criticism from teachers for leaving them out of the consultation process when deciding not to extend the winter break to give students a chance to isolate at home until case numbers decline. Parents and students are stressed. Teachers, adminis- trators, support staff are stressed. Any discussion within the education system needs to be inclusive and transpar- ent, and it needs to reflect what is actually happening on the ground. Requests for hybrid learning have been ignored. This is a government that cut funds for distance learning in the quiet days of July 2020.

I want the Minister of Education and the Minister of Finance and the Premier to reflect on the fact that we are one-third of the way through this school year. What we’re hearing from the education system is incredible stress, incredible fear that a child will be sick. We need to support the people who are delivering education to our children in order to keep our schools open and a safe place for them to work and for children to learn. I ask the Finance Minister: explain to us what the ripple effect of a two-month delay in budget will be.

I ask the Minister of Education: explain to us what the ripple effect will be on education budgeting. [2:40 p.m.] School boards are committed to open and transparent processes. It might be something this government could learn from them. In order to have trust in their system, they go out to the public, and they consult. It builds con- fidence in the system. It builds trust in the system. It builds respect in the system. To see Bill 3 and what the government is trying to do here just absolutely amazes me. We have come a long way in transparency, and this is taking us back to the 1990s.

With the new measures in Bill 3, what will Thursday, December 10, 2020 British Columbia Debates 141

be the expectations of the Minister of Education from an already overworked and overstressed system? More uncertainty. More work. No clear path to a budgeting process that has worked very well for many, many years in public education. Many of my colleagues have talked about situations in their ridings, about what the impact of COVID is and their disappointment in what this bill isn’t. I share those concerns. I’m hearing from businesses in my communities that don’t think they’re going to make it to Christmas. For those of you who are unaware of where the Fraser- Nicola riding is, we did the 2017 wildfires.

We lived through the 2018 wildfires. We’ve had floods. Now we have COVID. Most of our businesses are small mom-and- pop businesses. Most of my communities are rural and very small. I’m concerned about the sustainability of our small communities as businesses board up their windows because they cannot afford to pay their rent. As my colleague that spoke before me said, it is not just their business income. It is their life. Many of our small business owners keep their doors open because of their commitment to their staff.

They understand that those staff members depend on their doors being open in order for them to be able to survive. They will often go without pay in order to keep their staff coming to work. Where is the compassion in this government that claims to care about the working person? Where have you been? We’ve been waiting since the spring for programs, for assistance, for a lifeline, particularly to our small busi- nesses. If you consult any more, there will be nothing to consult about. They need your help. They’ve been willing to give you input.

They need to be heard, and their ideas need to be reflected. [2:45 p.m.] Here we are, at the Legislature, in a session, in the middle of a pandemic. And what are we talking about? We’re talking about a bill that means nothing to people on the ground. It means nothing to people who are wonder- ing how they’re going to buy presents for their children for Christmas. It means nothing to the business owner who only has enough rent for December. I see no sign of hope. I see no sign of assistance. I see no compassion for the people who make British Colum- bia work.

This government claims to have been support- ing British Columbians every step of the way. Well, I would like to suggest to Premier Horgan and his government that you’re out of step with what’s happening on the ground in British Columbia. Where’s your COVID plan? Where’s your hope for the people who are most affected? When I heard that one of the criteria for the assistance would be based on your tax return for 2019…. I want the Finance Minister to tell me how that’s going to help my constituents, who were all working in 2019 and are now out of work for ten months.

How is that going to help those people on the ground in my communities? What little relief is being offered continues to be de- layed, continues to have conditions that most can’t apply for and assumes that everyone has the ability and the infra- structure to actually apply for them online. I would like to remind government that I have many places in my riding that are so rural they actually don’t have cell coverage, nev- er mind Internet. A one-time payment is a one-time solution. It’s a band- aid — not that it won’t be welcomed, not that it won’t assist people. But what is your long-term plan?

Where is the structure that we can all buy into, move it forward and be committed to? Ten months in and no plan. Ten months in, and businesses are closing their doors. Ten months in, and grandma hasn’t seen her grandchild or her daughter or son. What we’re doing every day counts. Another day without a visit. Another day without a plan. Another day without my doors open as a business. I’m telling you: every day counts, and you are right on the edge of too little, too late. When people think about government, they want compassion, they want caring, and they want leadership.

They want to know that you have the best interests of everyone in British Columbia. The people I’m talking to — that is not how they’re feel- ing. If you’re hearing something different, then I would encourage you to actually stand up and participate in this debate. I am hard-pressed to understand why any- one would sit through this, during this incredibly important time, and not say a word. [2:50 p.m.] The people of British Columbia elected each and every one of us, and they expect to hear from us. Stand up. Be counted. Be loud. Be the voice that they expected. People in my riding are hurting.

People in my riding are waiting for a lifeline from your government, and I’m telling you that we don’t have until after Christmas to wait. We’re hurting, and we’re not the only ones. If you take the time to talk to people in your ridings, they are hurting too. Their voice needs to be heard in this House, and you need to step up and share your stories with all of us. The only way we can get through this is by working together, even though I have a hard time with trust after the goodwill that was shared during COVID was used to call a snap election. There are a great many new faces across the way.

I think there is goodwill, and I’m certainly hopeful to hear from each and every one of the members across the way on what’s happening in their riding and how we can work together to move this through. But I’m telling you that Bill 3 is not the way to do it. I am extremely disappointed that this government thinks that Bill 3 — one bill, doesn’t mention pandemic anywhere — is the reason we all needed to come together. Mr. Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to speak today. I think we are in unprecedented times.

I encourage every member in this House to use their voice, and I think it is so important that we do the business of the people of British Columbia in a respectful and in a sharing way. I am 142 British Columbia Debates Thursday, December 10, 2020

disappointed so far in the lack of participation. Thank you very much for the opportunity to speak today. I would like to end by acknowledging all of the front- line workers who have been so critical during this pan- demic. I understand how tired you are. I understand your commitment to the work you do. I wish all of the families across British Columbia a happy Christmas. Y ou know, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and it’s not the train. So stay safe, stay healthy, and thank you for the opportunity to speak today. Deputy Speaker:Thank you to the member for Fraser- Nicola.

Just a reminder that the use of proper names for MLAs is not the order of business. I’ d like to, at this point…. The Chair recognizes the member for Vancouver-Quilchena. A. Wilkinson:Mr. Speaker, I thank you for the chance to speak, but was there an understanding that the member for Saanich North and the Islands would be going next. Deputy Speaker:Thank you to the member for Van- couver-Quilchena. If the member for Saanich North and the Islands wishes to speak now, the floor is yours. A. Olsen:Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Congratulations on assuming the big seat at the front of the House here.

Just to let the member for Vancouver-Quilchena know, I’m not going to be speaking for long, so perhaps he need not go too far away from his computer. I just wanted to take the opportunity to stand and speak to Bill 3 and to just, I think, share some of my serious concerns that I have for this bill as well as for the content of this bill, or should I say the picture that this bill paints for British Columbians.

And that is one of a government that was simply not ready to govern, one that earlier this fall…. [2:55 p.m.] As we left this place in the summer, the Premier pulled the House down around him, took this House down, a House that was working in a minority situation, working collaboratively with one another, and the very premise of that election was based on this notion that it would be bet- ter for the government to go it alone, the government to do this alone.

Also, British Columbians were told that in fact the only way to govern through this pandemic was for a majority government, for a strong majority government. British Columbians were led to believe that there was a plan in place to govern. As we’re learning now, as Bill 3 is put in front of us, we find — and it’s some of the major concerns that I have for this — the government is now asking this House to give itself an extension — 30 days, 60 days — to give it the abil- ity to create the space that it needs, perhaps, to develop the plan that should have been in place.

In fact, British Colum- bians, when they went to the polls back in October, were led to believe that there was a plan, that it was the perfect plan, that only one party could deliver that plan, and the request of British Columbians was to deliver the majority government so that that plan could get rolled out. Indeed, the former Finance Minister was left here to be caretaker of the business of this place while we were away, out on the hustings, in the middle of a pandemic snap election.

Y et we come back here and find that now there’s this grant for an extension — this request for a delay that apparently nobody wants to talk about. I think that my col- leagues in the official opposition have articulated it clearly enough. I don’t need to emphasize it any further.

The concern that I bring to this debate, the concern that I think British Columbians need to consider for themselves, is that they were led to believe — we were led to believe — that in fact, there was a grand plan, a perfect plan, one that only one party could deliver, yet here we are needing a couple months more to be able to develop that plan. Under duress, right before the end of the year, right as British Columbians are trying to consider how they’re going to be celebrating alone, we are now going to be extending and delaying the delivery of that plan for British Columbians. I find that to be very troubling.

It’s less what’s in this bill and more about the story that this bill is paint- ing for British Columbians, if you just kind of dig under the surface. While we’re in this place right now…. Most of us are in our homes — living rooms, kitchens, home offices — in this unique hybrid session at the beginning of December. While we’re in this place debating a delay — or at least, we’re debating the delay; members of government aren’t really debating this delay — to give the government more space to do the work that it needs to do, British Columbi- ans aren’t being afforded that same experience.

For British Columbians, the bills are rolling in. They don’t get to just call up the people who they owe money to and ask for an extra 30 or 60 days, to just say: “Well, we need more time. That plan that we told you we had didn’t really work. We need more time to be able to pay the bills. ” What this comes down to for me is a question about trust, a question about confidence. What message is this sending to British Columbians? After the Premier stood in front of British Columbians over and over again throughout the election campaign and said, “We’ve got this. Give us this responsibility.

We accept this burden, ” now the very first act is to say: “We’re not quite ready for it. We need you to give us more time. We need you to give us more space. ” [3:00 p.m.] This is the very first act, and this is eroding the trust that British Columbians will have in this institution. When we stand up and say we’re ready and prepared to get some- Thursday, December 10, 2020 British Columbia Debates 143

thing done, we should be ready and prepared to get some- thing done. It’s really unfortunate. I have, and my colleague has, serious concerns about the message that this sends about the preparedness of this government, the trust that we can put in this government and the confidence that we can put in this government that they’re able to deliver on what they say they’re going to deliver on. Big, grand promises were made for the last couple of months. In fact, British Columbians were told there will be no delay to the services and to the program delivery throughout this election.

This election that we had last fall wasn’t going to unnecessarily delay anything. We learned through the election that in fact, it did indeed delay the rollout of the $1.5 billion that we were sitting in this House giving the government the ability to spend and that they didn’t spend right up until one week before that election. In fact, they used that $1.5 billion plan, or that $1.5 billion set of expenditures that they had organized throughout the summer, as basically their first campaign platform announcement at a local brewery here in Victoria.

They used the money that British Columbians were contributing to their own recovery and to their own suc- cess for the political opportunities as a political campaign stop. It was egregious, and it took all summer to determine how that money was going to be spent. Then, during the election, because we were in an elec- tion, British Columbians couldn’t get answers from their government, businesses couldn’t get access to the funds that they were promised from their government, and there were indeed delays.

Now we’re learning the government is going to vote themselves another delay, further eroding the trust that British Columbians can have in their government. They stand up and say there’s going to be no delay, yet we are going to be four, six months down the road of delays. It’s this story, this picture that’s being painted here with this Bill 3, that is really troubling for me, that I have serious concerns about, that our caucus has serious concerns about.

I needed to stand and put on the record the very serious concerns that we share about the message that this is sending in the very earliest days of this government about their level of preparedness after making bold prom- ises that they were ready and willing to accept the burden of this job on their own. Well, British Columbians gave it to them, and now they’re seeing that the very first bill, the very first act that’s put in front of us for debate, is one that says: “Well, actu- ally, we weren’t quite ready.

We’re not quite ready to deliver like we promised we were, so now we need an extra num- ber of days for that. ” With that, I’ll take my seat, but I want to express the very serious concerns that I have about the message that this is sending British Columbians. HÍSW̱ ḴE SIÁM. Thank you. Deputy Speaker:Thank you to the member for Saanich North and the Islands. Just another reminder to members that we don’t use proper names of MLAs in the House. A.

Wilkinson:First of all, I should be giving recognition to the three individuals who have taken on the role of Speaker — obviously, the member for Burnaby-Edmonds as the Speaker himself, the member for Vancouver–West End as the Deputy Speaker and you as the Assistant Deputy Speaker. We thank you for taking on the task, and we look forward to your wise and reasonable governance of the House. Now, all of us owe many thanks to the volunteers and supporters who made our election possible, especially those who are newly elected to the House.

We congratulate every one of them, of course, for joining those of us who’ve served in the House previously. It’s an onerous task. It carries responsibilities, not just to the people who elected you in the riding but also to the wider five million people in British Columbia. We take on these roles because we seek to be part of the governance of the province.

Those who are fortunate enough to be on the winning side in the election form government, and they choose the executive council. [3:05 p.m.] But the caucus on each side is critically important to provide guidance to members of the executive council and to serve in this House as the wider conscience, as the vehicle, as the conduit for ideas and information from the entire province of British Columbia to the governing exec- utive council, commonly known as cabinet. We have to examine why we’re here today and why we’re debating this bill. The government was successful in the election. We all know that.

They have formed a majority government. With the majority comes an onerous obliga- tion to use the majority wisely — not to use it in a self- serving manner, not to use it in a way that is going to be onerous for the people of British Columbia but in a way that serves the public interest of all of British Columbia. That is the task this government must take on now. Y et we find ourselves summoned to Victoria, some of us doing it from our residences or offices on this hybrid mode, to debate a bill that is purely self-serving for this government. It has no benefit for the people of British Col- umbia whatsoever.

There has been no effort whatsoever on the part of the executive council to demonstrate why this would help the people of British Columbia, and sadly, very sadly, we see the members opposite — the private mem- bers, the NDP caucus members — who are ashamed to stand up and speak to this bill. Whether they’ve been told not to stand up or whether they simply feel that they are too intimidated to stand up 144 British Columbia Debates Thursday, December 10, 2020

is an open question. But the fact remains that their inabil- ity to speak to this bill in any way whatsoever is a source of some shame to the rest of us, because we are summoned to this chamber to serve the interests of the people of British Columbia. We do not see that happening with this bill in any way, by any member of the NDP caucus. Government is about building and earning trust. It’s about maintaining the trust of the public. We saw that pri- or to the election, where our party decided, in March, that we would adopt the concept that we would fight the virus and not each other.

We cooperated with this government for six solid months. We did not carp on about testing rates. We did not get into debates about regional opening and closing. We did not go on about school closures and about the need for disclosure of information in schools. That did not come up, because we decided that it was our responsibility to the people of British Columbia to work with the government for the betterment of the people of British Columbia dur- ing this COVID pandemic. We saw the Green Party do it in their own way. They had their confidence and supply agreement.

That was their way of cooperating with the NDP minority government to make it possible to govern British Columbia effectively. We can disagree about the contents of the CASA agreement, and we can disagree about the results, but the fact remains that it was about building trust between the Greens and the NDP . Sadly, we saw the trust that we had invested in the NDP minority government in September, and the trust that the Green Party had invested in the NDP minority for three years, tossed to the wind in September.

It was a complete abrogation of the public trust in the middle of a pandemic which has threatened British Columbia and the rest of the world in ways that have never been contemplated before. This was a start of a pathway to cynicism — a self- serving pathway, a pathway that means that the NDP have now decided that they will serve their own interests. The Legislature can be written off, basically, as a vehicle, because their own private members aren’t prepared to stand up and speak. It’s a muzzling of the democracy of British Columbia that’s happening this week and next.

We will do our part to fight it by standing up and speaking proudly on behalf of the public interest of British Colum- bians. That takes us, sadly, back to the last era of NDP majority government, where the financial credibility of this province was torn to shreds — the fudge-it budgets, the unreliable budget dates, the budgets that bore no correl- ation to actual government spending. This record was reflected in British Columbia’s bond ratings. It was reflec- ted in British Columbia’s borrowing costs. It was reflected in our credibility.

It was also reflected in our economic performance, as British Columbia literally went from first to last in Canada, with the highest marginal tax rates in the country, by the time that the NDP were defeated in 2001. [3:10 p.m.] There was then a concerted effort, a major initiative, to re-establish credibility with the Budget Transparency and Accountability Act.

It was a critical piece of legislation that provided that the officials in the Ministry of Finance would provide uniform, reliable reporting to everyone — to the citizens of B.C., to the institutions that lend us money when we need it and to the Legislature of British Columbia. It was part of an overall package — fixed elec- tion dates, fixed budget dates — taking away the arbitrary decision-making power of the Premier of the day. What do we see this week? We see a return. We see a return to that high-handed, arrogant, self-serving beha- viour of NDP majority governments.

We can only hope that this is a flash in the pan, a spurt of bad judgment, a small window of bad faith that is being exhibited by this executive council under this Premier. Accomplishing the credibility of things like fixed elec- tion dates and fixed budgets with highly reliable budgetary information is no small task. Y et we see it being slowly cor- roded and now accelerated by this government. There are no initiatives on the table.

We’re in the biggest crisis since World War II in our province, yet we have seen no real initiatives to deal with it, other than deferring to public health officials, which has generally been appropri- ate. But in terms of the function of the other 20 minis- tries in this government, in terms of the function of this House and in terms of the function of the economy of Brit- ish Columbia, we see exactly that — nothing to show to the people of British Columbia. There has been no fiscal update.

There has been a secret- ive approach to the finances of this province, which is completely inappropriate and has no real basis in necessity. It is simply politically expedient now that the NDP have a majority government. The purpose of this bill? To delay introducing the next budget. There was already a month delay that the NDP granted themselves last summer, and now we see that they’re trying to extend it. This will mean that we have over a year between the last budget in February of 2020 and the next budget in the summer of 2021. It will limit govern- ment transparency.

It will delay the needed supports going out to our sectors in the community and in our business sectors that are desperately in need of some government guidance. The people of British Columbia are entitled to know what the plan is. Let’s not forget that last summer eco- nomic recovery plans were put out in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta by mid-July. We still have noth- ing, nothing at all to guide the people of British Columbia as to where their future lies.

We’ll fight the virus, but we’ll be holding this govern- ment to account on how they fight the virus from now on because we no longer trust this government at all. We will also have to be very scrupulous in examining the beha- viour of this government on financial matters, given this Thursday, December 10, 2020 British Columbia Debates 145

complete betrayal of the public trust that’s demonstrated in this piece of legislation. All we have so far from this government, in terms of that economic recovery, is some vague expectation it’ll happen next year. That does pre- cious little, does nothing, for the tens of thousands of people who have lost their jobs. Employment rates have recovered somewhat because, as shown in the newspaper the other day, the person who used to be a flight attendant on WestJet is now working at Amazon or driving an Uber car. Those are not things to be ashamed of.

That’s good, hard work, but it doesn’t pay as much as their prior employment. COVID has knocked the stuffing out of so many sectors in our economy: tourism, hospitality, airlines, restaurants. We all know the fate of these businesses that are struggling to stay alive, struggling to keep credit, struggling to keep any employment at all going in their sectors. What are they relying upon? Federal support programs. In the province of British Columbia, there has been nothing under this NDP , and there will be nothing under this NDP majority government until there’s a new budget.

That now, appar- ently, is five months away. We are going to see a wave of bankruptcies roll through our communities this winter. There’s an

article that has come out in theVancouver Sun this afternoon about the west side of Vancouver. The reporter, very appropriately, interviewed both me and the Attorney General, who rep- resents Vancouver–Point Grey. [3:15 p.m.] The essence of the story is: what has happened that has generated waves of business closures down Broadway, 10th Avenue, Dunbar Street and elsewhere, in one of the most prosperous parts of Canada? Why are all these busi- nesses going broke?

It’s a long story in terms of population change, online shopping, a change in the number of chil- dren around and an older population group that purchases less as they build out their home life. Property taxes are a major feature. We have put forward proposals repeatedly for split assessment on business taxes so that they’re not paying for the air space above their single-storey building. That has been ignored by this gov- ernment. The thing that has turned the corner is COVID. It has driven so much revenue out of those businesses that the community fabric is starting to unravel.

There are numer- ous businesses going broke in my riding and the Attorney General’s riding as we speak. Storefronts shuttering, the brown paper going up behind the glass, and no sign of a return to employment. This is gutting the communities we live in, in what, as I said, is one of the most prosperous corners of this country. That tells us a lot about the lack of response from this government. Perhaps this government — in a kind of ruth- less; hard-nosed; and, ironically, right-wing way — is say- ing: “Oh well, that’s Darwinism and business.

These places were designed to fail anyway. ” That is not what government is for. Government’s job is to assist businesses like this to weather the storm and to make sure they can return to prosperity after COVID. There is a horizon now for COVID to come to an end, now that vaccines are being deployed. We all know it’s going to be a long journey, probably into August or September, before there’s any kind of return to normalcy. It could be as long as a year from now, or even more, depending on the efficacy of the vaccine and the willing- ness of people to take it. The point remains.

We cannot just write off hundreds of thousands of people in the province of British Columbia by saying: “Too bad. Nothing could be done. ” Many things can be done. Many things were discussed during the elec- tion and were also raised by the Premier’s economic recov- ery team, which was constituted last May. In frustration, the three major agencies that were part of that Premier’s team put out their own reports at the end of July because they were getting no response from this NDP government. They have had no response since then.

The Business Council of British Columbia put out an extensive report on July 29 which pointed out dozens of things that could be done, yet nothing has happened. Just a few examples. Accelerate private sector invest- ment to kick-start the economic recovery. Extend tax remittance deferrals for businesses significantly affected by the pandemic. Quickly find additional spaces for child care. Make B.C. a top tier location for investment in the forest sector. Introduce Nexus-style regulatory approval systems for qualified operators. Protect the industrial land base in Metro Vancouver. Support rapid re-skilling.

That is critically important and needs to happen now. Address uncompetitive personal taxes. Boost investment to stra- tegic digital infrastructure. Encourage the growth of tech- nology-focused small and medium-sized firms. The list goes on and on and on. Nothing has been done by this NDP majority government — not even a signal that things will happen. That means that these organizations lose face. Why were they encouraged to participate and advise the Premier if he was just going to ignore them? It was a stalling tactic. It was a way to buy time.

It was a way to open a window for a snap election so this government could form its NDP majority. Think about it. What’s the goal of getting elected if you’re not going to do anything? The goal of elected office is to act in the public interest, to do things that are exciting, to make British Columbia a better place for everyone, to put a smile on people’s faces. Why are we here for this two- week legislative sitting? None of that is happening.

What is happening is that the NDP majority are seem- ing to cement themselves into office in a condescending and, essentially, abusive fashion to the democratic process by dismantling the structure of what became the Budget Transparency and Accountability Act, by getting rid of fixed election dates, by getting rid of fixed budget dates. What does that do for the thousands upon thousands of 146 British Columbia Debates Thursday, December 10, 2020

people who are looking forward to the bleakest Christmas that they can remember? It does nothing for them except delay the prospect of hope. [3:20 p.m.] We also know that the government members on the other side — that is, the backbenchers, many of whom are newly elected — have been cowed into silence. We just have to look around the legislative chamber and see dozens and dozens of NDP members doing nothing. They’ve been told they’re not to speak to this bill. Perhaps some of them even made their own decision not to speak to this bill because they can recognize a power grab when they see it.

They can recognize a misuse of the democratic process. They must be saying to themselves on the screen, in the chamber: “Why did I take this job on if it’s just to grab power and protect the few people on the executive council? Do I have no autonomy, no agency, no ability to represent the public interest?” Do those NDP members have no ability whatsoever to stand up and make their own decisions?

Perhaps they’ve been cowed into silence in their caucus meeting, because this is part of the master plan to build out the power and authority of this NDP majority and do exactly what they did in the 1990s, which is protect their own interest at the expense of the public interest. But think about this. This is no ordinary time. We’re in a pandemic. We as legislators have an overwhelming oblig- ation to the public good. That’s why we worked with the government for six months to try and make sure that we were protecting the well-being of British Columbians dur- ing this dreadful epidemic.

This bill does nothing for the people of British Columbia, yet we can see that the NDP are hoping that no one will notice. We’re in the middle of the pandemic, and there’s a lot of news about the vaccine coming out, and this bill will hopefully escape public notice. It will not escape public notice. We’re already get- ting the feedback on what a high-handed, arrogant, con- trolling government we now have sitting in Victoria under the NDP . There’s the excuse that is being trotted out that the civil service couldn’t be ready in time after an election to put together a budget on the normal schedule.

I think I am the only person in this chamber who has served as both a deputy minister and as an elected member. I went through five budget cycles as a deputy minister. The deadline is mid-December for all submissions. Those were prepared months ago and would have been tweaked according to the election outcome. But let’s remember that this is a continuation of an NDP government, so very little in those budgets will have actu- ally changed by now. There is simply no excuse whatsoever for delaying this budget date into April.

It should be in the middle of February, as it was required under the Budget Transparency and Accountability Act, which is now being gutted by the NDP in what is clearly a naked power grab. Let’s look at the government budgets. The Ministry of Health spends close to $3 million an hour every day, every week, every month, all year. That goes into health services which are delivered in British Columbia to everyone. The Ministry of Education spends about $30 million for every instructional day in the classroom. All of those amounts are preset and won’t be changing.

Those are the baseline expenditures of government, and those two ministries amount to more than half of government spending, just the two of them. What needs to be changed? What needs to be tweaked? What can’t be adjusted by the regular budget date? The answer is the NDP simply want more power, more author- ity, more control, and the public interest and transparency be damned. This is not the way a democracy should be functioning. This is not a new government. This government should be in control of its budgetary circumstances and know where it’s going.

Either there is no plan, which appears to be the case, since it’s now four months overdue, at least, and we still see nothing in terms of a plan for tourism, for hospitality, for the restaurant trade…. These businesses are imploding, as I said earlier, yet what we see is nothing coming from Victoria in terms of any kind of credible plan until April. [3:25 p.m.] It’ll be far too late then for thousands of family busi- nesses, which will have failed by then. That is a huge and structural and fundamental abuse of the public trust.

With a budget of $60 billion, this government should be in a position to provide guidance to all those businesses as to what they can expect so they can plan, so they can know where they’re going, so they can know if help is on the way or if they should, perhaps, pack it in or at least figure out how much money they’re going to have to have to survive. Instead, there is nothing. The tourism industry rightly asked for $600 million of support back in the summer. What they got instead was a consultation process, and they are starving.

We saw on the news last night that the Capilano Suspension Bridge fully decorated itself for Christmas, fully employed all the stu- dents and part-timers who were going to be working there over Christmas. Now they’re shut down. What can they expect from this government? They don’t know. Clearly the answer is nothing. This abuse of the public trust is fundamental. It comes in terms of torn-up agreements like the CASA agreement with the Green Party.

It comes with the false hope that was given to the tourism sector earlier this year when they were engaging in their efforts to convince the govern- ment to do something immediately for the summer tour- ism session, which was completely written off. The lack of trust extends to election dates, which have now been twice changed, first in the bill which gave the NDP an extra six months, till November 2021, and then in terms of the NDP just calling a snap election in a power grab. We now have budget dates being changed. All of this Thursday, December 10, 2020 British Columbia Debates 147

is designed to retain and expand the power of the gov- ernment of the day, the NDP majority that sits in the chamber today. Government requires trust. The reason Canada functions so well is that people respect the law. They respect their hunting licence restrictions. They respect the fishing limits. They respect the ways they’re asked to behave and conduct themselves by the public health officials. This is a high-trust environment, which is what makes it such a successful nation.

Y et when we see the leadership of our nation, of our province, acting in a high-handed, self-serving way, it means that trust is being abused. We saw it even in the election campaign, where the NDP sought to divide British Columbians into what was so crudely described as “us” and “them. ” The good people and the bad people. [S. Chandra Herbert in the chair.] That does not build trust.

That defines the enemies of the government of the day, and that is wrong, because everyone in British Columbia has to feel that they are trus- ted, that they are represented by their government and that they can trust the leadership in their society. When we see the degradation of that trust in a bill like this in a completely unnecessary legislative sitting that accom- plishes nothing for the people of British Columbia, that public trust fades away. All of us have to remember constantly that we can only govern with the consent of the governed. We do that with elections.

But they are not just a once-in-four-years win- dow in public opinion. They are a crystallization of four years of acquired public trust and four years of consent of the governed. Y ou cannot just blow these things past the electorate and hope they won’t notice because there was a vaccine announcement yesterday.

It is not acceptable for this government to hide, to sup- press the truth and to pretend to be transparent when in fact this government is doing nothing more than leading the public down the path toward the kind of arrogant, high-handed, inept government that occurred under the last NDP majority government. The members elected to this House should be serving with pride, and it’s hard to see how any of the private mem- bers on the government side, the backbenchers, can be proud of what’s going on in this Legislature in these two weeks.

It’s an attempt to suppress transparency, to avoid the truth, to pretend that the civil service isn’t ready for a budget and to fail in that duty that is owed to the public. [3:30 p.m.] It’s fair to say, and it goes without saying for the most part, that leadership is defined by the ability to govern fairly. High-handed behaviour, arrogance, is a sign of weakness. It is not a sign of strength. Sadly, in this first sit- ting of the Legislature since the election, we are seeing a government show its weakness.

In our society, which depends on trust, we cannot allow this government to unravel that public trust with this kind of completely unjustified approach to changing budget dates, to changing the approach to governance and to dis- missing the public interest in favour of the interests of the NDP majority. It is time for this Legislature, this parlia- ment, to start serving the public in the midst of the deepest crisis it has faced since World War II. We implore this gov- ernment to wake up and start to serve the public interest rather than their own. With that, Mr.

Speaker, I thank the House for the time I’ve been granted and thank you for indulging me without interruption. R. Merrifield:When I was nine years old, I wanted a Discman. I loved to sing, and I had a little bit of a love affair with the New Kids on the Block. I could sing almost every single song of theirs. With this new Discman, I could take my music wherever I wanted to. It was mobile. I also was quite the wizard on roller blades and wanted desperately to have my own pair. Imagine how far I could go, how fast I could be, on my in-line skates, Discman in hand, and my amazing New Kids on the Block in my ear.

I had to have it. But being only nine, I didn’t have the money to get one, so I went to my parents and asked. Y ou know what they told me? To build a budget and let them know how I was going to make enough money to afford it. They taught me the value of money and of having a plan. Y ou know why? Well, because my parents — a pas- tor and a teacher — were trying to raise a family of six, and they knew the value of money. They knew the value of dol- lars.

They knew that in order to have enough to take care of our family’s needs, as well as have enough to take care of those in need, they needed to make every dollar count. They taught me and my siblings fiscal discipline. In the great recession of 2008 to 2010, my industry was decimated by the financial crisis. Suddenly, businesses all around me were faltering. As a young 20-something year old, it was really difficult to watch friends go bankrupt. Y ou see, when people think of a business going bankrupt, they think: “Oh too bad, so sad, it’s a business. ” But it’s not just a business.

I watched as those businesses declared bankruptcy, as tens and hundreds of people went without paycheques. But also, I watched as marriages faltered, as homes were lost and as lives were decimated. Rather than simply charging forward, I started to review my business plan, the expectations of those around me. I tried to talk to others, and I built a plan with a budget. Otherwise, I would have gone bankrupt as well. In this, I learned the value of resilience.

When COVID first hit, every organization that I was a part of went into overdrive: contingency plans, emergency meetings, changing budgets day over day; not month over month, not year over year, not six months over six months — day over day. In this, I learned that in crisis you need to expedite plans immediately. There is no time to waste, 148 British Columbia Debates Thursday, December 10, 2020

and those hundreds, thousands and hundreds of thou- sands who are relying on you need a plan. Why do I share these stories? It certainly isn’t so you can just all get to know me better. It is to show that the best way to have a way forward is to have a plan and a budget. I learned that in the middle of crisis, you need all the voices around the table, to see all of the angles and to make

Document details

Collection	British Columbia — Debates (Hansard)
Citation	20201210pm-Hansard-n7
Type	hansard
Volume / chapter	20201210pm Hansard n7
Language	en
Format	pdf
Source	PROVINCIAL
Identifier	66de14dbc121365fb1dc7893e9726bd1764982ad

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